Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-07-27


the dishes to q wide, smooth rock,
and Sylvia washed them in the run
ming water. When they were wiped,
she hung her towel on the bushes, and
went in to feed Mouser.
She felt queer to go to sleep in that
wild nook, and the ''Hoot, hoot," OF
an owl overhead made her get up
and sit by the embers Of the hearth.
When the owl flew away. and she
could only hear tie splashing of the
brook, she crept back to bed again,
and slept till Mouser woke her by try
ing to burrow under her neck.
Grandpa was gone, but soon re-
turned with three fat trout from the
brook. These were done brown on g.
spit, some potatoes wereroasted IN the
ashes, and a merry breakfast they
had of it. After prayers, grandpa
shouldered his axe, aud, lifting Silvia
to kiss her, said:
"Good bye. Take good care o.
things. You're queen now OF the
whole mounting"
"Queen! Dearie mel" replied Syl-
via. "Queens don't wash dishes, and
darn stockings, and"
l. OOA Y hAOWs AO c1A1O ACNs
''Yet I guess some queens'd want to
darn their baby's stookin's. Well
tell Queen Victoria about it when we
go to see her."
Sylvia looked sober. Any queen
would be glad to see grandpa, and she
would make her just the prettiest lit
tie work basket, with q pink pin cush-
ion in one corner, and rustic "V'
worked
"Good bye, little one!" said grand
pa.
"Good bye"
The dishes washed and the house
tidied, Silvia took her pitcher to GO
for milk. Over this old coal road Mr..
Marsh's COWS passed to and from pas
ture. The tinkling of the cow bell
could be heard now.
AS she walked along she looked far
down into the valley where lay her
home, low and white, with petals of
the white roses blowing from it like
snow flakes.
"Mr. Marsh," she said, when she
had watched him milking while,
"please let me try to milk"
81 want t'knowW he exclaimed.
"Lemme see your fingers. Oh them
little things. They-why, old Gem'd
think they wuz fly legs, and kick"
"Please let me try" she said.
She tried, and succeeded so well
that the next Tuesday Mr.. Marsh
said she could do her own milking at
her own door.
So, every morning, when she heard
the tinkling of the bell, she went out
with carrot for old Gem, and MIXED
her yellow pitcher full.
Happy wood life! But it all came
to an end one night in this way.
Supper was ready, puffy white bis
cults from Mrs. Marsh, and nice
brown slices of ham on the table, and
the tea was simmering on the Goals.
Sylvia went to call her grandfather,
who was hard at work telling tree
that seemed in danger Of falling on
the house; but he knew how to
"Supper's ready!' she called.
"Don't say!' he replied. "Well, l
can't say as am, quite; I'd like to
get this tree down first, Missy"
"Please come now an finish chop
PIN after supper" Sylvia answered.
After supper he sat down In the red
freight.
"Fur just minute" he said.
But soon-nod, nod, nod-he was
fast asleep. In an hour he started up
with wide open eyes, declaring that he
chad nigh got asleep" and punching
Sylvia's lips when they smiled.
They both had forgotten the half
felled tree, and soon they were asleep
in bed.
Mouser and Towser were asleep on
the hearth, where the fire-which they
usually needed in the evening
drowsed slowly to sleep under it's gray
ashes.
When Sylvia awoke in the night the
wild soughing Of the trees and the
hard beating of the rain told that it
was storming. She listened awhile in
g. little dread, but soon slept calmly
again.
A frightful crash awoke her. She
started up. & falling timber had
struck her. With heart choking with
fright, she sprang from her bed.
There lay grandpa, a huge limb of
the fallen tree across his body. She
went to him. Hewas breathing hard
ly.
ooh! Grandpa Grandpa"
A thread of scarlet wound across
his white forehead.
"Oh! Grandpa GrandpaH'
But grandpa could not hear. Only
One could hear now. Her pale quiv-
ering lips moved, and her eyes looked
out through the open roof into the
dark sky.
The prayer was heard. It's answer
Was e. brave heart. Calm and strong
now, she started to rise. A dart of
pain from her bruised or broken limb
made her heart faint. She could not
walk, hardly crawl.
She crept slowly to the door. 1t
had ceased raining. Dinly she saw
the tree tops surge and fall, like dark,
wild waves, down the mountain side.
She crept back. The blood oozed
still from the broken temple. In g.
moment she had torn sleeve from
har NIGHT IA raSa and hOru1 the wound